“Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Matt 4,3-4
These were the words of the Son as He came under great pressure, the pressure of both the devil’s presence and his words.
That’s the ‘place’ where the first Adam failed and with him God’s plan for Mankind collapsed... for a while.
These words of Jesus are identical to what the Father told Moses and the nation of Israel when they were under great pressure:
“"Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers. And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.“ Deut 8,1-3
Here we are spectators to a intense verbal turbulences. But the conclusion is crystal clear: The words proceeding from God’s mouth will uphold His people through imparting divine life. Obviously it is not the Bible as a book, as no book proceeds from God’s mouth. But God definitely speaks through the words of the book, because He is its author.
So what is the Word for 2018? We are priviliged to have spiritual fathers like Helen & Dr Jonathan David who are able to download revelational guide-lines, and the echo in our hearts is clear and immediate:
Strategic men of stature | Positioned in prophetic precision | Creating significant moves
These three components are to be found as God spoke to His people in the desert of Sinai, even though in an implicit way. But they are evident as we observe the beginning of the public life of Jesus.
He had developed stature since his first years:
“Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Lk 2,51-52
Stature doesn’t come through human success, or experience. Spiritual stature comes solely through God’s dealings with us. In the life of His Son, it was developed through 30 years of training and dealings. The same is said about the nation of Israel in the verses mentioned above: “God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart.”
He was getting positioned in prophetic precision:
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."” Matt 3,16-17
Then:
“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil ... Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him ... And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." Matt 4,1,13-16
He was firmly positioned in the Spirit and in prophetic destiny for earthly regions and populations.
He created significant moves:
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.” Matt 4,17-25
And yes He was the starting point of an extremely significant move, to say the least. The move was built on a stature developed through 30 years of walking with God in Heaven and his parents on Earth; it was established when His position in the Spirit was vindicated by the Father. But the move was small in its first and most important phase, the selection of His heirs, 4 men in total. It spread to the synagogues and through them to all people. Even geographical speading became a reality as crowds came to Him and followed Him.
These elements are quite significant and seldom recognized, but ignored... sometimes intentionally as Christians dislike processes and change.
These were the words of the Son as He came under great pressure, the pressure of both the devil’s presence and his words.
That’s the ‘place’ where the first Adam failed and with him God’s plan for Mankind collapsed... for a while.
These words of Jesus are identical to what the Father told Moses and the nation of Israel when they were under great pressure:
“"Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers. And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.“ Deut 8,1-3
Here we are spectators to a intense verbal turbulences. But the conclusion is crystal clear: The words proceeding from God’s mouth will uphold His people through imparting divine life. Obviously it is not the Bible as a book, as no book proceeds from God’s mouth. But God definitely speaks through the words of the book, because He is its author.
So what is the Word for 2018? We are priviliged to have spiritual fathers like Helen & Dr Jonathan David who are able to download revelational guide-lines, and the echo in our hearts is clear and immediate:
Strategic men of stature | Positioned in prophetic precision | Creating significant moves
These three components are to be found as God spoke to His people in the desert of Sinai, even though in an implicit way. But they are evident as we observe the beginning of the public life of Jesus.
He had developed stature since his first years:
“Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Lk 2,51-52
Stature doesn’t come through human success, or experience. Spiritual stature comes solely through God’s dealings with us. In the life of His Son, it was developed through 30 years of training and dealings. The same is said about the nation of Israel in the verses mentioned above: “God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart.”
He was getting positioned in prophetic precision:
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."” Matt 3,16-17
Then:
“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil ... Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him ... And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." Matt 4,1,13-16
He was firmly positioned in the Spirit and in prophetic destiny for earthly regions and populations.
He created significant moves:
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.” Matt 4,17-25
And yes He was the starting point of an extremely significant move, to say the least. The move was built on a stature developed through 30 years of walking with God in Heaven and his parents on Earth; it was established when His position in the Spirit was vindicated by the Father. But the move was small in its first and most important phase, the selection of His heirs, 4 men in total. It spread to the synagogues and through them to all people. Even geographical speading became a reality as crowds came to Him and followed Him.
These elements are quite significant and seldom recognized, but ignored... sometimes intentionally as Christians dislike processes and change.